Sweet-teal green eyes looking out in sorrow. Casper had just learned a brutal betrayal last week. Her boyfriend, Simon, had played around on her again while they were on their field trip in Cambodia. Common truth, but this time it was worse. The latest person Simon cheated with? None other than Lexie James as Jake. So wrong, really. How could he stoop so low? Casper watched on heartbroken. Simon was enjoying his friends just as usual. He acted as if nothing had happened. Emma and the boys were playing around like idiots. They all seemed to be having a good time. Casper sat alone in the distance. She looked as if she would cry yet again. Simon and Jake acted like good friends. It seemed as if nothing had ever happened. Simon was smoking like a gent. Jake smiled and laughed in a happy way. Lucas sat in the background smiling. They were all talking and laughing in bliss. Sorrow and anger filled Casper every second. She couldn’t take it anymore. The young hippie stood up and walked over to the crowd. The boys and Emma looked up at her.

Rage flared in Casper’s eyes. Her love beads clanked and jingled as she walked. Smoke literally was coming out of her nose. Simon smiled at her warmly.

“/Casper!/” he called aloud. “/How are you baby?/” But his bird was in no talking mood today. Rage kept her silent. She marched straight over to the little perv. The hippie punched him right in the face.

“/YOU DIRTY LITTLE F**R!!!” she screamed. “I NEVER WANT TO SEE YOUR TINY TWATTY LITTLE FACE AGAIN!!!” Simon tried his best to play it off. He snickered a bit.

“/Tree hugger!/” he called aloud. The others looked at her confused. That didn’t help the situation either. Casper became angrier at that name. She kicked her man-whore boyfriend in the nuts. Simon went down in pain. The crew all crowded around him in pain. They all began talking to the couple. Fujisaki looked at her concerned. Casper’s man-whore rolled around on the ground in pain. Jake looked at her nervously. The hippie’s rage turned into sorrow.

“/And I was waiting for you to tell me!!!/” she screamed. Simon sat on the ground in silence. That didn’t really help either. The pain grew even more.

“/Time’s up you, wanker!!!/” she cried out. The hippie walked off in tears. Fujisaki turned right to the English boy.

“What the hell have you done to her now, Williams-kun?!?” he yelled. Simon couldn’t speak at all. He was in too much pain. Fujisaki turned to Sid.

“/He promised he hadn’t!!!/” she cried out. “/Why did you tell me?!? You’re supposed to be my friend!/”

“Bailey-chan!” Fujisaki yelled back. “I tried! I just didn’t want to… hurt you!” Casper couldn’t believe it at all. Even her own friends knew what a dog Simon was. Never could make this moment any worse.

“I mean, it’s just Simon, right?” her friend asked. Casper turned back to him silent.

“/Did you do him?/” she asked boldly. Fujisaki looked at her in disgust.

“What?!?” he asked in shock. “Don’t be so stupid, Bailey-chan!” The hippie looked at him hurt. Her mind was not rational at all at the moment.

“/I bet you wanted to f**k him, didn’t you!” she cried. Fujisaki just shook his head at her in disgust and walked off. Casper watched him leave.

“/Cheers Suguru!/” she cried. “/That’s what friends are for, yeah?/”

“Whatever Casper!” Fujisaki yelled back at her. Then, he walked away. Casper walked off in tears. She leaned up against a tree and sat right down on the ground. Jake walked over to her.

“+Casper,+” “he” spoke up. She looked away at the ground.

“/Go away,/” the hippie mumbled to him. Jake knelt down to her in embarrassment.

“+Please don’t tell anyone!+” he pleaded. “+Everyone will think…+”

“/Think what, Jake?/” Casper snapped at him. “/That you’re a dirty little slut that f*s around with other people’s other boyfriends?/”

“+I’m… I’m sorry!+” he called. “+I don’t know what happened. He just… It was nothing!+” Casper placed her head against the tree and sighed. Nothing in the world could take away her pain at the moment. “+Can’t we just pretend it didn’t happen?+” Jake pushed on. Casper shut her eyes in misery.

“/Go away!/” she said in a low voice. Jake looked at her crushed. Now, he had done it. All of the apologizes in the world couldn’t fix this fine mess this time. He slowly got up and walked away. Casper sat alone once again with her tears.

Meanwhile, Ken-san came down the hall. He came down to supplies closet and went inside. His cell phone went off. He reached into his pocket to answer it.

“Moshi-moshi[1]!” he replied. Ken-san looked really pale at the voice on the other line. “Never call me at all!” he cried. The sensei listened on a little longer. “Yes,” he said. “That was nice! But we just can’t.” Ken-san listened on for more. “You want to what?” the man asked. He shut his eyes tightly as he listened on. He created this monster, now he had to deal with them. “Oh god!” the English sensei mumbled to himself. “You’re not going to see that again! Never mind lick it!” The frustration had built up fast. “Listen to me,” he shouted. “It’s over! It’s over! It’s over and…” He froze in mid-sentence.

Casper sat on the floor with a bottle of Kobe beer in her hands. Her bell-bottoms had dirt all over him. Her make-up was ruined. She looked on with more tears in her eyes. Ken-san looked on embarrassed. He quickly hung up the phone.

“Oh Christ!” Ken-san gasped out loud. Casper didn’t care by this point. (She had already downed half a bottle of beer anyway.) She held out the bottle to him.

“/Drink?/” Casper asked. Ken-san rushed over to her right away. He took the bottle right out of her hands and looked at it.

“No!” he said. “God, Casper!” he called. The hippie looked on quietly.

“/Who were you talking to?/” she asked. Ken-san went pale for a second. Then, he shook it off quickly.

“No one!” he said quickly. Casper looked on at him. His cell phone rang on the floor. Ken-san opened it wide. He sat there looking at his phone in silence. Suddenly, Casper sat on the floor looking sick.

“/I think I’m going to be sick!/” she called.

“Right!” he said. He looked around for something to catch her sick in. He managed to find an empty paper fax box. The sensei tried to rush it to her as fast as he could. But, Casper bumped into his chest and threw up there. She sat back happily. Ken-san looked down at himself. His suit was ruined now. But what could he say? At least, he helped her.

“Good,” he mumbled to himself. But then, Casper threw up on herself as well. She looked up kind of desperate. In a few minutes, the hippie sat in the shower in her underwear. Her clothes were in the wash. So far, this day was crap. Simon turned out to be a cheating scumbag, Fujisaki knew all along, and now she threw up on herself and Ken-san. Could this day get any worse? Meanwhile, Ken-san looked for some fresh clothes for him and Casper to wear for the moment. He found a tennis skirt when his cell phone rang again. He turned around slightly annoyed. Why would she just get the message? What was so hard for her to understand? Ken-san tried to ignore it by rearranging the shelves in the sports closet. Casper hung her head in the shower.

In a few minutes, Casper was fully clothed in a tennis uniform. She saw in one of the science classrooms. Blue still haunted her mood. Ken-san offered her some fresh green tea. Casper looked up at him. The man himself put on a coach uniform. He sat down on the desk next to her.

“You’re going to tell me what happened?” he asked. Casper looked down at the floor. Ken-san tried to stay optimistic for this situation. “Possibly Simon?” he asked. Casper sobbed again and broke down crying. Ken-san watched in pity. He knew that he hit it right on the head. The sensei reached out and lightly stroked her long wavy brown hair. He sighed as he did so.

“Listen,” Ken-san spoke again. “I’m sure you can work it out.” Casper cried as she shook her head.

“/Oh god!!!/” she whined. “/I love him so much! And I made him go away!!!” Casper wept harder at her loss. Then, Casper cell phone rang. She opened up the phone and cried again.

“/Look,/” the hippie whimpered out. She held the phone out to the English sensei. “/He’s so lovely!/” Casper cried.

“Speak to him,” Ken-san replied. “Always suppose to talk.”

“/Yeah?/” Casper whimpered. The sensei nodded at her.

“Yeah,” he replied. “Communication! That’s the key!” Then, his cell phone went off as well. Ken-san looked away from his phone nervously as the hippie answered hers.

“/F*k off, you wanker!” Casper screamed at Simon on the other line. “/No, you listen to me, tosser[2]! Leave me alone! Leave me alone! For the last time, f**g leave me alone!/” While she spoke, Ken-san opened his phone and held it up to the ranting girl. Both of them hang up their phones. Silence followed afterwards. Ken-san took in another breath.

“Well,” he spoke up as he hopped down from the desk. “Shall I take you home?”

“/Thanks,/” Casper answered in a small voice. Ken-san began walking to the door.

“Aw man!” he mumbled to himself annoyed. The hippie turned her head to him.

“/I know who that was,/” she spoke up. Ken-san whipped around to her as fast as he could with his bag on his shoulder.

“Who?” he asked with a blank face.

“/On the phone,/” Casper went on. “/It was Emma, wasn’t it?/” Ken-san shook his head quickly.

“No,” he said quickly. “Why on Earth would Emma ring me?” And guess what happened?

“#Ken!!!#” Emma called from down the hall. “#Ken!!!#” The English sensei stood froze in surprise. Casper wickedly at him. Everyone in there group knew about Emma and Ken. She wouldn’t shut up about him. Fujisaki found it rather annoying. Casper stood up to get a better look.

“#Ken!!!#” Emma called again. “#Look, now you’re just playing hard to get with me! You want me, Ken!#” When she opened the classroom door, Emma found herself delighted in surprise. Casper stood dressed in her tennis outfit and Ken-san as the coach. They both looked really surprised to see her here. Emma’s eyes lit up brightly.

“#Oh f**k!!!#” she cried. The pair stared on at her. The ride home was a silent one. Ken-san drove them both home. Emma sat in the passenger and Casper sat in the back seat. Emma turned to her boyfriend smirking. Casper looked down at the floor.

“I don’t see why you couldn’t take the bus home!” Ken-san snapped at Emma. The Aussie looked at him innocently.

“#Cash outage!#” she wailed. “#Look, it’s not my fault that the student dormitory is five miles away! Anyway I wanted to see you and…#”

“Shut up, Emma! Okay?” Ken-san said quickly. Emma did so… for a second. She turned to her friend.

“/Shut up Emma,/” Casper mumbled to her mate. “/Okay?/” The Aussie turned back around.

“#Okay,#” she said. She sat quietly for the rest of the ride. Ken-san dropped Casper off at her house. She got out of the car. The hippie closed the door and walked over to the window.

“/Cheers Ken,/” she said. “/I’m really grateful for the tennis kit and everything./”

#So am I!#” Emma called. Casper sighed annoyed.

“Shut it!” the sensei and the hippie said together. Casper began walking to her house. Emma cleared her throat. The Aussie pulled out the other girl’s bra and handed it to her. Casper turned back to her.

“#Yours?#” Emma asked. Casper snatched it away and walked off. Emma waved at her as she did so. Ken-san then drove Emma home. The Aussie sat in happy silence. She finally had her boyfriend all to herself. Too bad, Ken had caught the guilt bug.

“It’s alright, you know,” she told him. The sensei sighed again.

“It’s not alright!” he barked. Emma kept her smile.

“You know you want me!” she said.

“I don’t want you!” Ken argued.

“It makes perfect sense,” Emma added. The English sensei pulled the car into a complete stop. He sighed again.

“None of it makes sense!” he cried. “I’m you f***g English teacher, okay? It was mistake and I’m not doing it again!” Emma looked at him blankly. But then, Ken-san rushed over and kissed her on the lips. The Aussie kissed him back excited. Things got hot from there. So hot that they didn’t even notice that the light at the intersection. A subway roaring above didn’t stop them at all.

Meanwhile, Simon was trying to “make nice” with Casper again. He looked up at her bedroom window. He threw another rock at the window.

“/Cas!/” the charming bastard yelled. “/Cas!/” He threw another rock at her window. “/Tree hugger!/” the boy yelled out. Silence. Time to go Shakespeare on her. “/It is the east, and Juliet is the sun. Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon, who is already sick and pale with grief!/” He threw another stone at her window as well.

“/Why don’t you just leave her alone for a bit?/” a voice asked her. Simon looked up to see Sid looking right at him.

“/Sigh Why’d you put her through all of this shite, Simon?/” he asked. The other boy shrugged at him.

“/Look around Sidney!/” he called. “/F**k never really happens in this shitty little town! You’re got to improvise!/”

“/No matter who you hurt?/” Sid challenged. Simon smirked at him in a naughty way.

“/So I messed around with Jake a bit! So what?/” he replied. “/He was bored. I was bored. Casper was bored. And now we’re not. And she’s going to feel so good when she gets me back!/” Sid laughed at him a bit.

“/You sure?/” his mate asked. Simon smirked at him again.

“/Don’t be such a dildo, Sid!/” he replied. “/Of course she will!/” He turned back to the window.

“/It is my lady, O, it is my love! O, that she knew she were!/” he kept on. Simon turned to his pal.

“/She speaks yet she says nothing; what of that?/” he asked. “/Her eye discourses; I will answer it./” Sid couldn’t take it anymore. He punched his mate right in the face! Simon fell right to the ground. Sid looked on surprised. The boy walked away in a rush. Simone sat up some.

“/Sid?/” he asked. The English boy slowly stood up. “/You see, Sidney?/” he called again. “/Now you’re getting it! Now you’re getting it!/” He turned back to the window. The man realized that he was still alone. Maybe it was time to admit defeat… No! Simon threw another rock at the window. He walked away for the night.

Next morning, Casper got her breakfast in the kitchen. Evan was eating cereal out of the bowl like a starving child. Last month, Lynn, Casper’s mother, married Evan in Taiwan. Evan… Whew! Where to begin on this bloke? He’s much younger than Lynn. At first, Casper thought that he had some sugar in his tank. (If you know what I mean.) He walked like a girl. But yet, he dressed like a pig. He always left his dirty clothes all over the floor. Don’t start up on his table manners. Casper looked at him in disgust. His slurping could wake the dead. The young hippie sighed annoyed as she walked over to the table. Evan looked up at her. He crunched his cereal loudly.

“/What?/” the man asked. Casper kept that look in her eyes. She just shook her head at him. The girl took another drink of water. Lynn came into the kitchen to get her breakfast.

“/Babe,/” he said to her. “/He’s doing it again!/” Lynn sighed annoyed as she turned to her daughter.

“/Casper! Don’t look at Evan in that way when he’s eating!/” she said. Casper sighed aloud in the same way as her mother.

“/Does he have to make that noise every time he eats?/” the girl complained.

“/I’m only eating, for Christ sake!/” Evan shot back. “/Besides, it’s the culture around here, yeah? Shows that you like the food!/”

“/It’s culture!/” Lynn agreed. “/He’s only eating./”

“/Babe,/” Evan spoke up. “/I have delivery coming today. So can you loan me some cash?/” Casper looked up at him at those words.

“/Sure!/” Lynn replied. Then, she went into the living room to get her purse. Casper looked even more shocked.

“/Uh… why are you giving him money?/” she asked bitterly. Evan looked at her annoyed.

“/Sweetheart,/” Lynn replied. “/We are married!/” She handed her young husband the yen. “/We all want Evan’s new artwork to be a success, now don’t we?/” Casper gave a sarcastic laugh. Then she rolled her eyes and took another sip of water.

“/Cheers babe!/” Evan said. Then he kissed her on the lips and headed out for the day. Casper shook her head again.

“/Why are you so horrible?/” Lynn asked her. Casper sighed annoyed.

“/Why do you care?/” she mumbled.

“/I do care!/” Lynn replied. “/You know, in ‘I’m already late for work’ kind of way! So come on make it snappy!/” Casper breathed out again. She picked up a piece of toast.

“/I dumped Simon,/” she mumbled again.

“/Oh really. What for?/” Lynn asked.

“/Because he went down on a boy in my Geography class,/” he daughter explained. “/While I was watching./” Lynn looked at her cell phone for any voice messages.

“/Oh, well,/” she spoke up again. “/Why don’t you say sorry or something? I don’t know./” Casper looked up at her on that one.

“/And try and be nice to Evan,/” Lynn went on as she packed up her shoulder bag. “/Anyway, what are you doing today?/” Casper rolled her eyes again.

“/Going to lounge around the house in my underwear,/” she answered flatly. Lynn turned around to her.

“/Great! Okay./” she said not caring. “/Look, please be nice to Evan!/” She began to get that puppy dog look in her eyes. “/I love him! He’s my husband!/” Lynn pleaded. “/Try and be happy for me!” She blew two kisses and walked out the door. Casper watched her annoyed. Her mother was always wrapped up in her husbands. Every year brought a different man. Casper never really had a true father figure. In fact, she was not even sure who her father was. All Lynn ever cared about was love, men, and sex. Casper looked up at the ceiling in annoyance.

In the classroom, Emma sat at her desk waiting. Hickeys decorated her neck. Clearly, the Aussie was in a good mood. (Easy to see why.) The sounds of class didn’t enter her head at all. Emma looked up at the doorway. No one came yet. Lexie still as Jake came in. Sometimes, her personalities stayed out longer than others. She had been Jake for two weeks now. DID could be a hard thing to predict at times. Easy to see why Lucas was worried about his girlfriend/boyfriend all of the time. You would too if they had DID. Emma looked up at “Jake.” A smile came onto his face.

“+Oh Jesus!+” he called out as he saw Emma’s neck. “+An English teacher can do that?+” Emma gave him a little nod.

“#Yeah, mate,#” she replied. “#He can!#” Then, she leaned in close. “#But we have to keep it under wraps, yeah?#”

“+Mmm,+” Jake replied nodding. Then, more students came in. Emma looked up and saw Simon. He still had the bruise on his eye from where Sid decked him. Along with the bruise from Casper as well.

“#Oh-ho!#” Emma called out. “#She got you good, Si!#” Simon looked at her coldly. He pointed to the right hand.

“/That one wasn’t from Casper,/” he replied. The charming bastard pointed to his left eye. “/This one was!/” Emma laughed a bit. She began to wonder who punched him this time. Simon took his usual seat in the back. He looked over at the entry.

“/Hey Tree Hugger!/” he called. Casper came in dressed in her usual hippie wear. She ignored him flatly. She sat down with Emma and Jake. Simon rolled his eyes.

“/People have got issues!/” he called. “/If anyone else wants to go for a pop, then go ahead./” Everyone ignored him for a second. Then, a random girl slapped him. Simon looked at her confused. Casper looked up at bit. Simon just shrugged.

“/Better out than in,/” he said. Shuichi watched him near by. He just couldn’t believe that guy. Had he no remorse for what he did to Casper? He’s not even taking it seriously. That was Simon’s worst flaw. He just toyed with people just for fun. He didn’t even care about the damage afterwards. He just did what he wanted to do. In fact, the vocalist couldn’t understand why they were all friends with him in the first place. So strange…

Then, Sid came into the room. He sat down next to Emma.

“#Sidney!#” she called. “#What’s going on? It’s like a f***g of the OC, isn’t it?#” Sid looked at her quietly.

“/Nothing,/” he answered. “/Just leave it, okay?/” Emma looked on lost. What the hell was going on. Right then, Ken-san came into the room. He had a scarf around his neck today. He walked in as if he was in the church. Emma smiled at him in a naughty way. She remembered last night too well. The Aussie wanted more right away. Maybe, that could be arranged for tonight… Ken-san came to the front of the class.

“Right!” he called. “Everyone… um…”

“/What’s wrong, Ken?/” Casper asked. Ken-san looked up at the question right away. He couldn’t think straight at all.

“Yeah!” he said quickly. “Um…”

“#Why are you wearing that scarf thing?#” Emma called. Ken-san froze up in a rush. He looked down at his scarf.

“Uh well,” he replied. “It’s a bit drafty today!” Emma began smirking at that reply. Yeah, drafty from her last night! Fun times last night! She could wait for more. Would it be so bad to tease him some?

“#Doesn’t suit you, Ken!#” she remarked. The poor sensei became distracted. Was it that obvious? He shook his head quickly.

“Okay,” Ken-san spoke. “Well, get on with it!” He set down his bag and sat down. Simon rose to his feet with his essay in his hands.

“/The role of sex and power in relationships in literature,/” he read aloud. Ken-san looked at him quickly on those works. A confused look came onto his face.

“I asked you to write that?” he asked.

“/Yeah,/” Simon answered. Ken-san looked confused and lost on that one. Casper glared at him in anger. She knew where this was going.

“/Power is the single most force in the universal,/” he read on. “/Money and looks mean nothing except for the power they give us. Second most important is sex./” Casper sighed annoyed. Such a pig! Emma nodded a little bit. Here came the kicker.

"/So sex plus power equals fun!/” Simon finished his first paragraph. Casper rose up from her chair enraged and stormed out of the classroom. Simon watched her leave with a little smile on his face. Ando looked dead at the English boy. The charming bastard stood quiet. Sid looked down at the table. Ken-san looked at him in anger.

“Whatever you did that Casper’s too upset to talk about,” he said sternly. “I hope you’re ashamed of yourself!” Simon said nothing and sat down. Ken-san breathed out after that little lecture. Jake looked down in guilt. He couldn’t hold it in any longer. The truth had to come out.

“+It’s my fault,+” he mumbled. Everyone looked at him on that statement. Jake couldn’t stop himself anymore. He had to keep on. Jake stood up to his feet. “+I slept with Simon on the Cambodia trip!+” he announced in shame. Simon went pale at those words as he looked at Jake. Everyone gasped in shock. Shuichi, Ando, and Hiro looked on in worry. Lucas slowly became angry at them and Simon for what happened. Jake forced himself to go on.

“+I only did it because Shuichi was wrapped up with a fallout with Ando and Hiro was comforting Shuichi,+” Jake explained. The three Japanese boys watched in worry. Funny how things come back to haunt somebody. “+So I got upset and Simon said he would give me head to cheer him up.+” Simon shut his eyes in deepening worry. It all began to sink in now. Lucas glared at the charming bastard pissed. Simon became public enemy number one in his mind. Now, he understood why Casper punched him to other day. Jake went on still.

“+You know,+” he stammered. “+I didn’t mean any harm by it. But, I lost my head and then he gave me head. And then we got deported from Cambodia. And I’m really, really sorry for being a slut, okay?+” The students giggled at the head bit. Simon rolled his eyes at that one. Something told him nailing Jake was a bad idea, but he did it anyway. Darn his ambitions! Shuichi and Ando sat in their seats in discomfort. They were in for it now! Lucas looked at them in anger. They messed up this time! Jake shut up and sat down in his seat. Even though out in the open, Jake still didn’t feel any better. He just felt worse. Ken-san looked at him in sympathy. He wasn’t expecting all of that now.

“Right, well!” he called recovering. He walked over to his desk. “Anyone else have something they want to get off their chest?” the sensei asked. Emma smiled to herself in pride. Opportunity opened itself up to her. She wanted to sing the truth at the top of her lungs. The Aussie quickly stood up.

“#I’m in love with…#” she began to announced.

“Sit!” Ken-san yelled out quickly. “Sit down!” Emma did so quietly. There went that dream. Ken-san calmed down again. Class was going to be fun today!

Outside, Casper walked through the campus in bitterness. The cigarette she had didn’t help like it normally did. Everyone around her seemed so happy. She seemed to be the only dark cloud in the sky. Simon sat back in class annoyed with stress. He messed up big time now. It had now just sank into him. Casper continued with her walk of defeat. She stopped when she saw Gabby across the street. The tart[3] seemed to be enjoying herself with another boy. Seeing her again made Casper want to just kill her. A smirk came onto the hippie’s face as she marched over to the slut. She threw down her fag. Her love beads clacked loudly as she walked. She made it over to the slag[4].

“/Hello Gabby!/” Casper called aloud. The blonde tart whipped around to her.

“/Casper?/” Gabby asked in shock. “/How… um… safe to see you?/”

“/Isn’t it?/” Casper asked in sarcasm. “/Can I ask you something?/”

“/Yeah,/” Gabby replied.

“/Okay,/” the hippie went on. “/I was just wondering how many times you f**d my boyfriend?/” All of the other school girls looked at Casper and Gabby in shock. Whispers arose among the crowd.

“/Oh Gabby, you didn’t!/” one girl cried.

“/Very, very rude of you, yeah?/” the tart replied. “/It’s just horrid!/”

“/Let me go!/” she screamed. “/I want to tear her f***g tits off!!!!/” Tom looked at her in interest. Such a hot little thing. And sharp-witted as well!

“/Wow!/” Tom muttered to himself in amazement.

“/Let me go!!!/” Gabby screamed again. “/Come back here, you curly-haired tart! I’ll f**k you up!/” Tom watched Casper’s bum as she moved. He breathed out some. Such a babe! But yet, so sad…

Later, Casper sat on a park bench looking at her phone. So many pictures of her and Simon together. So many painful memories. They used to be the dream team. Look at them now. He was a cheat and she had been a fool not to believe. Now, Casper only had these memories. She began to debate on whether or not to delete these pictures. After a few seconds, the hippie hit the options button. She selected delete and yes. Casper went to the next picture. The girl deleted more and more pics. Her heart ached as she did. But it had to be done. Casper shut her eyes to wish it all away. Right then, Simon came over to him. He smiled at her like a rascal.

“/How long are you going to keep this up for?/” he asked. Casper looked up at him for a moment. Then, she deleted another picture.

“/You know what?/” she asked. “/I never realized how f***g knackering[5] to know you, Si!/” The boy gave her a little shrug.

“/It’s fun though,/” he said without a care in the world.

“/You think?/” she asked. Simon didn’t speak at all. Casper turned back to her phone and deleted another picture.

“/I don’t even know what you want!/” she added on. Simon shrugged again. His charming wasn’t working anymore. Casper became frustrated again.

“/You know what?/” she asked aloud. “/Tell me you love me!/” Silence came between them for a moment. Simon shrugged once again.

“/You know I love you, Tree Hugger,/” he replied.

“/No!/” the hippie screamed. “/Tell me like you’d die for me! Like nothing else matters! Like your world stops turning because of me! Like you mean it, you little shite! Go on!/” Simon kept smiling at her.

“/I mean,/” he began. “/Come on!/” Casper shook her head at him in disappointment.

“/Wrong answer, Simon!/” she cried. “/F**k off! I’m busy!/” Then, she turned back to her phone. Simon watched her in silence. What just happened? She’s supposed to be all over him kissing him in happiness. Not this time, though. He walked away in silence. Casper watched her now-ex walk away. She turned back to her phone once again.

Casper wasn’t the only one working with pictures. Sid was at his computer again. On his screen, he had a picture of him, Simon, and Casper standing in the yard of Tokyo Cram College on their first year there. Happier times, really. But now, things have changed. Sid traced around Simon in the picture. He cut him right out of it. A smile came onto his face. Job well done if he could say so himself. One down, a few more to go. Then, he clicked to the next picture. Arisu was the next one. She looked dazed just as usual. Her eyes really shined in this one. The Japanese girl was dressed up in black as she normally did. The clown geisha make-up on her looked really beautiful for some reason. Sid smiled at the picture. Such an angel.

But then, Sid began to feel really sad. He remembered what he did to her. She tried to commit suicide because he ignored her for Casper. The boy picked up his mobile and dialed Arisu’s number. The phone rang once. Sid waited patiently.

“Hi this is Arisu,” the other line said. Sid smiled in relief at the reply. “Don’t bother leaving a message because I’m not listening,” the answer phone went on. Sid’s joy deflated into defeat.

“/Uh…/” he replied as the phone on the other line beeped. Sid hung up right away. He turned back to the picture on the screen. Arisu still looked so precious. Then, the door bell rang. Sid looked up towards his bedroom door. He tried to ignore it at first and focus on Arisu’s picture. But then, the door bell rang again. Sid looked up again. This time, he went to the door.

Sid opened the door and Casper looked in at him. The dork looked at her surprised. The hippie looked just as hot as ever in her Woodstock concert wear. Sid didn’t know what to say at first.

“/Hi,/” she said in a soft voice. Sid looked around a bit.

“/Hi,/” he replied.

“/You love me right?/” Casper asked. “/You really love me?/”

“/Yeah…/” Sid replied confused. The hippie swallowed a bit.

“/How much?/” she asked. Sid was really lost now. He wasn’t expecting this at all. He wanted, even longed for this moment. But, something didn’t seem right at all. This was more of a rebound thing. Sid wanted the timing to be perfect. But yet, Casper’s had her heart ripped out by Simon. How could he say no to her like this?

“/Uh…/” he began. “/A lot./” He shrugged at his own words. Casper smiled at him brightly.

“/That’ll do!/” she called happily. Then, she flounced right into the house. Sid watched her confused. What was going on here?

“/What?/” he asked. “/What do you mean?/” Casper paused and turned to Sid.

“/It’s now, Sid!/” she said to him. “/It’s now, okay?/” Then, she headed into the house. Sid followed after her and closed the door behind her. They sat in his bedroom. Casper held a bottle of sake in her hands. Awkward silence all around. Not what she was hoping for today. Still, better than nothing she guessed.

“/You go!/” Casper said quickly to him. Sid turned to her.

“/No, you,/” he replied. Both sat in uncomfortable silence for a moment.

“/You!/” Casper insisted.

“/Why not you?/” Sid questioned. Casper looked at him in silence again. She sighed to herself. This wasn’t what she had in mind when she came over to Sid’s house. But, she was here now. Might as well make the most of it. Casper sat the sake on the floor and stood up. She moved in front of Sid and began kissing on him in a passionate way. Sid felt a little uncomfortable about this sudden move.

“/Casper…/” he spoke up in between kisses. She didn’t listen at all. The hippie just kept kissing on him.

“/Casper,/” the English boy tried again. “/My glasses!/” She still didn’t listen. The hippie ripped off his shirt right away. Sid became really nervous.

“/Um… Are we going to practice safe sex?/” he questioned her. Casper broke off the kiss and smiled at him.

“/All in good time,/” she answered him. Then, she took off her tie-dye halter top like a hooker. Sid watched her unsure of what to expect next. Casper moved in front of him again.

“/Stand by for lift off!/” she said to him in a seductive tone. Casper slowly sank downwards to her knees. Sid watched her in worry. Sure, he dreamed about this moment for many a night now. But yet… something didn’t feeling right about this time. Sid couldn’t explain it at all. It just didn’t. Something seemed to be holding him back. Was it… Arisu?

Casper unzipped Sid’s jeans. Sid tried his best to grin and bear. The hippie started getting right to work. The English boy breathed in heavily out of discomfort. Casper looked up at him. She looked pretty disappointed. Sid looked at her in slight shame.

“/Sid?/” she asked him in concern. He swallowed hard.

“/I can honestly say,/” he spoke up. “/T-that has never happened before!/” Casper looked at him confused.

“/Bugger[6]!/” she called. This wasn’t going as planned. Sid shrugged a bit. Time to change plans.

“/Grab them!/” she called again. Sid did so slowly. Casper pressed his hands closer to her chest. She moved around a bit in a sexy way. The hippie smiled at him in a sexy way.

“/Yeah?/” she asked him hoping for a little action. Sid looked on in discomfort. There it was again. He just felt out of place at that moment. Casper seemed so needy at the moment. But how could he let her down easily?

“/Uh well…/” he said. “/I think I do…/” He looked up at her again. “/But we’re okay, yeah?/” Sid asked. “/Because this isn’t right when you’re missing someone too./” Casper broke down crying at last. The truth sank in once again. She nodded at him in sorrow. Sid hugged her out of pity. Casper cried on his shoulder. Then, the door opened wide.

“/Sid you got any razors I can borrow?/” Norman asked. He went quiet when he saw his son hugging on one of the hottest girls in Tokyo Cram.

“/It’s okay, dad,/” Sid replied. “/Casper’s just a bit upset./” Norman nodded at that one and went away. He held up his thumb and quietly shut the door. Norman hurried down the stairs excited. He drew out his cell phone.

“/Finally, finally, finally, finally,/” he mumbled to himself over and over again. The man began to dial the number. He put the phone to his ear.

The Ocean Suicide clinic was up and open for the day. Sid and Casper made it there just in time. They took a taxi to the place. They came here to see Arisu. She had been admitted here after she tried to commit suicide. Nobody had seen her in weeks. The taxi drove off and left them. Casper and Sid looked at the guard at the front door. He was knocked out asleep.

“/Should have rung[8] but she never answers her phone anyway,/” Sid spoke up. “/Let’s go./” He turned to walk away. Casper stopped her right away.

“/Just because you made someone try to kill herself does not mean she would be glad to see you,/” the hippie spoke up.

“/You reckon?/” the English boy asked her. Casper looked around for a bit. That dampened Sid’s spirits once again. He sighed in defeat.

“/That’s it, we’re going!/” he said. The boy turned to leave again. Casper grabbed him by the arm quickly.

“/Oh for Christ sake!/” she snapped. “/Come on!/” They came into the garden. They looked in amazed.

“/Wow!/” they said in unison. The place was paradise. Green as far as the eye could see. Everything looked so happy and peaceful. Almost like a child’s fantasy world. Balloons, flowers, shrubs shaped into pretty animals, and water sprinklers rained everywhere. Beautiful koto music filled the air. Everyone seemed so happy and free. It was an overdose of uppers. This place lived up to its purpose: to make depressed suicidal people really happy again. Such a place would make even the most happy-go-lucky person puke. Nick would have a field day with snarky comments about this place. Sid looked on amazed. Casper walked ahead. Sid looked at Casper and followed after her. They walked along the path of happy.

“/Jesus!/” Sid called out.”/What are they all doing?/”

“/Trying to be happy, Sid,/” Casper replied. “/It isn’t easy./”

“/No,/” he replied. Both continued on with their walk.

“/Can you see her?/” Sid asked his crush.

“/We have to mingle,/” she replied. “/Just to be less conspicuous./” They kept walking on their path. Then, a huge balloon popped behind them. A girl screamed out loud.

“/Whoa!/” the Brits called as they looked behind them. The girl ran over to another girl and hurried away. A doctor chased after her right away. Sid and Casper finally came to Arisu. She sat on a bench looking away from a boy sitting on the other side. She didn’t have any clips in her hair today. Arisu had on a simple white sundress. Her lips had been caked on with black lipstick. White Hollywood shades and a dark brown rice hat completed her look. The pair made it over to the Japanese girl.

“Arisu!” Sid spoke up to her. The girl looked up at him right away.

“Oh wow,” she said. “Hi! What a lovely surprise!”

“Hey Arisu,” Casper greeted her. “How ya doing?”

“Oh I’m so cool,” the Japanese girl replied. “But, we’re not supposed to have visitors during happy hour.”

“We won’t be long,” Casper said. “Sid wants to say something to you.” She pushed the dork forward to his crush.

“Lovely,” Arisu said indifferent. Sid stared at her in nervous silence for a moment. He had the words, now he lost them. Oh well, too late now. Time to improvise.

“/I’ll leave you to it, yeah?/” Casper said to him. Then, she slowly went away. Sid and Arisu were left alone together. Arisu slowly took off her shades. A smile brightened up her little pale white Goth face.

“Want to stroke my pussy?” she asked aloud. Sid looked at her blushing.

“What?” he asked in surprise. “Um…” Arisu kept her smile at him. She slowly drew back her blanket and revealed a cat the boy. Sid relaxed some. He softly breathed to himself. She was talking about her cat.

“Isn’t he lovely?” the Japanese girl asked. The little reddish-kitten meowed as Arisu stroked her.

“She had three other sisters,” the Japanese girl explained. “But they won’t like Tojo take care of them anymore.” She and him looked over behind her. A Japanese man was lighting firecrackers all over the yard. They all went off loudly one by one. Sid looked over at his crush. Arisu looked up at him again.

“Uh… Arisu…” he spoke up. “I’m sorry you tried to kill yourself because of me.”

“Oh,” she said in the same tone. “That’s okay, Sid.” Arisu looked down at her kitty as she stroked her cat.

“I realized something,” Sid went one. “I’ve been an idiot.”

“Yes,” Arisu agreed.

“And…” the English boy pushed. “I was hoping… maybe you would give me another chance.” Arisu looked up surprised at those words.

“Oh wow, Sid!” she said to him. “Cool! You’re so lovely, wow!”

“Great,” the English boy replied. He smiled in joy.

“If I wasn’t going with Seita, then that would be amazing!” she cut in. Sid’s face dropped in defeat.

“Seita?” he asked. The boy sitting on the other side of the bench looked up at Sid. He looked a little bit older than her. He had his short black hair spiked up with an overkill of gel. The boy looked like black Halloween on heroin. Seita would do Harajuku proud.

“That’s me!” he spoke up softly. Sid looked at them in slight embarrassment. He hadn’t expected this at all.

“We’ve got so much in common!” Arisu bragged.

“Depression, self-loathing, Goth style,” Seita explained.

“And he knows he can’t have the physical thing, because I don’t do that anymore!” Arisu summed up. Seita looked over at her like a little puppy.

“I’m still hoping you’ll change your mind,” he said.

“I won’t!” she said quickly. The Japanese girl turned back to Sid.

“So you see, it’s all so exciting!” she exclaimed to him. Sid looked at her with sorrow in his eyes. He felt as if a door to him had been shut to him. Such a cold feeling he had left.

“Right…” he said to her.

“He wants me!” Arisu went on.

“I do!” Seita replied.

“And he can never have me!” the Japanese girl summed up.

“I’m hopeful!” he pleaded to her.

“It’s perfect, isn’t it!” she called ignoring her “boyfriend.” Sid looked on hurt. Who knew rejection could be such a bitch? He pressed his lips together in discomfort.

Meanwhile, Casper told her sweet time enjoying the treats at the center. She helped herself to a wasabi almond in the treat bowl.

“/Could get to like this!/” she said cheerfully. The hippie picked up a little cake and helped herself.

“I find it rather boring,” an old lady said behind her. “I just could be back in China again. It seems rather hot for China this time of year.” Casper turned to the woman.

“/Okay,/” she said without any real interest what so ever.

“Okay Yuri,” a young boy said to the old lady as he put a blanket over her lap. “Ready?”

“Quite!” the old woman answered. “Did you have a word with the son of the ambassador of Cuba? He must stop coming into my room! He is a scary boy and I’m old enough to be his mother!” Casper smiled to herself at such nonsense. Oh to be old and still take a trip into the fantasy world from time to time. This woman had Cassie beat by kilometers! But then when she looked over at the old woman and the help, surprise met the hippie’s face. Tom was helping the old woman to her room! He looked just as charming as he did the first time they met. The boy looked up and saw Casper in surprise.

“/Huh,/” he said aloud. “/Hi. What are you doing here?/” Casper eyed him still.

“/Uh…/” she said. “/Visiting. What are you doing?/”

“/Working,/” Tom replied. “/Working for my mum. She kind of owns the place./” Casper looked on in even more surprise.

“/Yeah,/” Casper agreed with a nod. Yuri nodded at her as well. Tom began to pull out the wheelchair before stopping again.

“/Listen,/” he spoke up to Casper. “/Do you fancy going out for a coffee or something?/” Casper looked at him pleasantly surprised.

“/Yeah,/” she replied. “/Nice./”

“/Neko’s then,/” he said. “/About midday./”

“/Okay,/” the hippie said happily. She turned to Yuri.

“Goodbye,” Casper said properly.

“Bye!” the old woman called. Then, Tom wheeled her away back to her room. Casper turned away smiling. Then, she headed home.

“Would you mind having a word with the board and the cook. I like my beef well cooked.”

“I’ll see what I can do,” Tom told her.

“Thank you!” Yuri called.

Casper made it home just in time. For once in days, the hippie had arrived in happy land. Boxes all sat in the living room. Not just there. The boxes invaded the hall and the stairs. There could only be one explanation for this.

“/Hello?/” she asked aloud. Casper walked through looking around. She walked right into the kitchen. More boxes everywhere. The hippie frowned at the sad sight. Evan had an open box under his arm and trying to get out the prize inside. Casper looked at all of his prizes. Porcelain figures sat everywhere in the open boxes. Two of them were bronze-colored frogs staring at her. Not only that; different animals in different sizes and colors were all over the place in the boxes. Casper just couldn’t believe such garbage everywhere.

“/So?/” Evan asked. “/Look! They only sent two Billy the horses./” He showed her a cartoonish-looking white horse. Casper looked at him in disturbed shock.

“/Why are you such a wanker[9], Evan?/” she asked aloud.

“/Eh?/” he asked her. Casper gave him an angry sigh.

“/I know you’re using her!/” the young hippie snapped. “/Spending her money on your half-arse animals! Let me guess you’re got like huge cock! Because there’s no other reason why she would waste time with a tit like you!/” Evan looked at her offended. He held up his finger to scold her. The door opened from down the hall as she spoke.

“/Hi!/” Lynn called out. “/I’m ba—what the?!?/ Casper turned to Evan smirking. The man lowered his finger smiling. Lynn came into the living room pissed. Here came the meltdown.

“/W-What the f**k are these?!?/” she screamed.

“/That’s Happy Slappy dog!/” Casper replied pointing out each box one by one. “/And this, is Billy the horse!/” She showed him the painted horse. Lynn looked on in disturbed shock as well. Casper smirked at him.

“/Hey babe!/” Evan spoke up.

“/I have got art clients coming in eight minutes to buy some fresh works from Osai and Harunobu!/” Casper smirked at the meltdown. Pretty soon, Evan would be out of here!

“/I thought that we could a few of them about and maybe your clients could buy them sort of thing!/” Evan tried to weasel out. More breakdown coming!

“/Tosser[10]!/” Lynn shot back at him. “/Keep your crap out of my house!/” Casper smirked the whole time to herself. Goodbye Evan!

“/There’s nowhere else to put it you cow[11] and keep your stupid daughter out of my face!/” the art student shot back. Casper frowned at that last bit!

“/Oh that is so right about you!/” his wife screamed.

“/Oh yeah!/” Evan hissed. “/About what?/”

“/You’re a useless lazy tosser!/” Lynn screamed.

“/Fat old slapper[12]!/” Evan hissed.

“/F**k you!/” Lynn screamed.

“/F**k you right back! Right up your big gat lardy ass!/” her husband yelled. Casper smiled to herself once again.

“/Goodbye Evan!/” she mumbled to herself. Then came a rumbling up the stairs. Casper’s bedroom door flew open wide. The young hippie whipped around to the sound. Lynn stood right in the doorway.

“/Evan says you were rude to him!/” she said fired up. “/You’ll go and say you’re sorry!/”

“/No!/” Casper snapped.

“/GO AND SAY YOU’RE SORRY TO MY HUSBAND!!!/” Lynn shouted at her. Then, she stormed away. Casper glared at her cold as ice. Once again, the wanker won over her! Casper just hated it when that happened. Was she that desperate for a man that she had to side with him over her daughter just to keep him happy? So pathetic. Casper hung up the top she had in her hands and stormed down the stairs.

Evan sat down on the futon across the hall. Casper sighed aloud to him. He looked over at her. Both girls entered the room.

“/I should have never said that you have a big cock,/” Casper said to him. “/I now realize I was mistaken./” The hippie walked away smiling. She shut the door behind her. Evan looked offended at that last comment. She still managed to insult him after all. Lynn turned to him frowning and rolling her eyes.

“/Have a unfeasibly large cock!/” Lynn answered as she walked over to her husband. Evan relaxed some.

“/Yep,/” he said. He sighed a bit.

“/Well get it out then, Happy Slappy boy!/” Lynne ordered as she crawled onto the futon. “/Because I’m ready to make up!/” She crawled on top of him and kissed him on the lips. Evan smacked her right on the big bum.

At the cafe Neko’s, Casper and Tom sat at a table outside. Tom laughed at the hippie’s story.

“/She does my head in!/” Casper went on. “/He’s my third step dad in seven years! Twenty f***g seven years old!/” She sighed aloud in stress. “/Jesus!/” Casper shouted. “/I mean, that’s disgusting, right? That’s… that’s…/” She stuttered in disgust at the mere thought of Lynn and Evan having sex.